He lived. He learned. He left.
English teacher Geoffrey Young
was born and raised on the Northwest side of Detroit.
“There were pockets of people
with all this diversity in the area,
which kind of made for a nice
community. You’d run outside
and Mrs. Boik would give me stuff
from her pear trees, that kind of
thing,” Young said. “Over time, as
the economy shifted … as people
began moving out of the city and
into the suburbs, like Dearborn
Heights, then the nature of the
community changed.”
This change occurred all over
the city.
Motown is not the same center
of music, cars and city life it used
to be. This is seen in abandoned
buildings like the Packard Plant
and Michigan Central Station,
the deserted and boarded up
houses, the bankruptcy the city
just declared, and as Young says,
the migration of residents to surrounding suburban areas.
Yet, there is a coterie of people
working to reassemble the shattered pieces of Detroit’s past.
Mayor Dave Bing said in his
2013 State of the City Address,
“Despite our much-publicized
financial issues, there is progress
to report in the City of Detroit.
The picture is not all doom and
gloom. Everyday there are more
signs of hope and possibilities.”

“Hope and possibilities” are
recognized in organizations,
business owners, residents and
visitors alike.
Detroit resident Toby Barlow
owns two businesses in the city,
Nora and Signal Return. He encourages living, working and
playing in the city, and he wants
to see this city thrive.
“I really want more people
seeing Detroit for what it is: the
center of the region,” Barlow said
via email. “To me, it would be great
if more people were comfortable
coming downtown and to midtown
to shop and look around, too.”
Barlow is used to the “city life,” as
he moved to Detroit from New York
seven years ago.
“It would be great to have an
increase in high density neighborhoods, a real walking and bicycling culture,” Barlow said. “It’s
changed so much just in (the)
time I’ve been here. I’m really
curious to see what the next few
years bring.”
These next few years could
bring the change he is hoping for.
The Detroit Works Project (DWP), an
organization “introduced in 2010 as
a process to create a shared, achievable vision for Detroit’s future” created a framework called Detroit Future City (DFC) to “improve quality
of life and fiscal sustainability for
Detroit and its residents,” according
to the DWP’s website.
In 2010, community meetings
were held to discuss the future
of Detroit.

“The community made it clear
that they wanted action now,” Detroit Future City Media & PR Consultant James Canning said. “The
whole goal of those meetings was
to create a strategy for the entire
city to try to transform it, make it
better, improve the quality of life.”
That strategy turned into the
Detroit Strategic Framework, a
part of the Implementation Office of DFC. This Framework is “a
city-wide plan that reflects three
years of intensive community-driven research, collaboration, analysis
and development of shared vision
for the City of Detroit,” the DWP
website states.
The Framework is separated into
five elements: economic growth,
land use, city systems, neighborhood, land and building assets and
a civic engagement chapter.
Dan Pitera, the Executive Director of the civic engagement team
for the DWP joined this program to
“connect the work directly to Detroiters and to connect the plan
in a real way.”
“We, as Detroiters, are the ones
implementing,” Pitera said.
He sees this as a challenge for
Detroit. Pitera believes Detroiters think their work is independent, but he wants to show them
“something greater can come if
they work together.”
“What Detroit Future City
attempts to do is become that
guidebook for everyone in our
community to figure out how to
make decisions about neighbor-

hoods, jobs, economic developments, how to fix our city lighting
systems or other city systems, what
do with vacant properties like Packard Plant, like the Train Station,
things like that,” Canning said.
Social Studies teacher Terri
Steimer is a supporter of the city
and its redevelopment but has
her concerns.
“I’d just hate to see it turn into
a wasteland where we just knock
all these buildings down and do
nothing about it,” Steimer said.
She also says pride is a major
component in getting Detroit
back on its feet.
“I think that the more people
work and take pride in what they
do for some sense of ownership,
that that increases the value,”
Steimer said. “If we lived in a
community where half of it’s torn
down, it looks like somebody’s
got bad teeth, there’s missing
teeth. It’s like ‘Yeah, why should
I take care of my teeth? They look
like crap anyway.’ And that whole
idea is, again, if you don’t have
pride in where you live.”
This pride may seep into the
entire metropolitan area, as DFC
and its goals are pushing to make
Detroit a desirable city.
“It’s really important to see
that the surrounding communities benefit from there being
a strong Detroit, a strong urban
core,” Canning said. “And so the
more we can do to improve the
quality of life in Detroit and for its
residents and for its businesses,

it’ll not only respect the folks that
live here, it’ll make a positive impact on them, but also those that
visit and having that structure of
Detroit will definitely trickle out
into the surrounding communities, and it’ll improve what’s in
their community.”
Detroit Works Project is not
the only redevelopment movement; the Detroit Riverfront
Conservancy, COBO Center,
Hudson-Webber Foundation and
organizations alike have already
made substantial strides.
“My sense is that we are approaching some positive tipping
points. There’s a great moment
when you’re building a campfire,
when you’re blowing on the coals
and suddenly it just goes ‘Woof!’
and it all catches and beautifully
glows,” Barlow said. “I think all
the work that has been done by
the foundation community, the
large downtown business leaders like Dan Gilbert and GM, and
the small business owners like
Phil Cooley who owns Slows,
Liz Blondy who owns Canine to
Five and Paul Howard who owns
Cliff Bell’s, will create a momentum that one day soon just goes
‘Woof!’ And then it will feel like a
very different place.”
For more information go to
www.detroitworksproject.com.

It’s fifth hour, and senior Sarah Rustmann is dreading it. She knows she’ll
have to face the wrath of technology again.
“With the slowness of the computers, it’s hard to finish projects and look up
research faster, which means I have more work to do when I get home,” Rustmann said.
Because of the many issues that students and staff have experienced while
using the system’s computers, the Grosse Pointe School Board voted at their
Nov. 25 meeting to put a $50 million technology bond on the Feb. 25 ballot. The
tech bond would supply the school with newer computers and more updated
software.
“I think that the tech bond is absolutely crucial. It is imperative that we pass
the bond in order to move forward with 21st century teaching and learning in
Grosse Pointe,” Principal Kate Murray said.
The tech bond was approved with a majority 5-1 vote. Trustee Cindy Pangborn was the only member opposed. By moving the issue from the voting period in November to the current voting period, the board is spending additional
money on the election.
“I object to spending $60,000.00 on an election when, if done on schedule,
has no cost,” Pangborn said in an email. “I object to a February election when this
community historically has been vocal against these special elections. Most of
all, I think it is wrong to hold hostage our voters with an all-or-nothing proposal.”

The whines from newly licensed teenagers over gas prices
have steadily increased over the past several years. But this pattern may come to a halt. There could be a new deal between Iran,
the U.S. and other allies that will be discussed at the Geneva II
Conference Jan. 22 that could lower gas prices.
Junior Courtney Lamparski sees the benefits this possible
deal could have on her.
“It would really help because I would probably have to pay for
my own gas with my own money so the lower the price, the better
it is for me,” Lamparski said.
The Iranian and U.S. relationship has been stressed for years,
but there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for this issue.
President Barack Obama and Iranian President/Sheikh Hassan Rouhani are now talking diplomacy and possibly relieving
sanctions placed on Iran in 1994. These sanctions have damaged
the economy of Iran, so President Rouhani wants to work out a
diplomatic solution with President Obama to lift these sanctions,
while keeping the country’s nuclear program intact.
“They were never one of the acknowledged nuclear powers

Tech bond
Continued from page 1

Grosse Pointe resident Gloria Gomah is opposed to the tech
bond and says that taxpayers shouldn’t be burdened with the
large sums of money the proposal is asking for.
“Infrastructure is very important in order to make things
work in a technological age. I’m not opposed to that,” Gomah
said. “I’m against any bonds that high. You have to be sensitive to the fact that it can’t be everything all at once, and I think
that’s what they’re trying to do.”
The $60,000 additional costs would have been avoided if the
tech bond had been voted on during the November election period. Roeske believes that nothing has substantially changed in
dollar amounts because the issue was supposed to be voted on
by residents earlier.
“I hate to use the phrase ‘the 11th hour,’ but at the last minute,
one Board member threw a wrench into that, and another Board
member jumped on board. It’s not so much why aren’t we waiting until next November, but why couldn’t we have voted on it
this November,” School Board vice president Roeske said.
According to an article in the Grosse Pointe News, 85% of the
district’s technology, including desktop computers and laptops,
is seven or more years old and therefore no longer capable of running on the latest software updates.
“I think that some of the essential components are the infrastructure,” Murray said. “Many of our computers are outdated
and either take an extremely long time to process or can’t actually even host the software that we need now.”
The bond will not exceed $50,280,00 if it is approved. The first
three years after the bond has gone into effect, it will help to upgrade the schools’ technology and improve the security systems.

of the world but we know that they have been very close to and
probably have nuclear capabilities,” history teacher Bridget Cooley said.
Before 1994, Iran shipped 2.5 million barrels of oil a day (2%
of the world’s oil supply.) After these sanctions, they were given
a maximum quota of 715,000 barrels a day. This was detrimental to their economy, but the US-Iranian relation was under too
much stress at the time for a deal to be worked out.
The new deal proposes that Iran is allowed to ship 1 million
barrels of oil a day, if Iran agrees to degrade half of their uranium
to from 20% to 5% and oxidize the other half.
“Oxidizing uranium is when you’re reacting it with oxygen”
Chemistry teacher Kristen Lee said. “They will make it into a dioxide, but very easily they could switch it back.”
If everything goes as planned, then the U.S. should see a drop
in gas prices.
“Nothing is for sure. We don’t know until we try, but it would
benefit the U.S. and Iranian economy,” Marketing teacher Michelle Davis said.
Senior Stephen Cleland believes Iran’s history makes them
untrustworthy and the U.S. needs to be self sufficient.
“In the past Iran has had nuclear weapons,” Cleland said.
“And we need to get more of our own oil and anything to make
gas prices cheaper.”
So far this deal and its outcomes are just mere speculations
there will be no guarantees about this deal until Jan. 22 when The
Geneva II Conference is called in to place to discuss and settle all
recent conflicts in the Middle East including the Syrian Civil War.
It would also pay for daily instruction for each of the schools to
expand their knowledge of their new equipment. While the first
phase focuses on new technology and learning how to use it, the
second phase of this bond will allow students to have their own
devices to learn in and out of the classroom.
“I would love to see more student-driven applications so that
in classrooms, you would see students using tablets or iPads, and
there wouldn’t be a disparity anymore between those who have
devices already and those that need devices,” Murray said.
If the bond is approved in February, the board will begin to
immediately institute it.
“There are some things we have to get done within two years
because of changes in laws around about what you have to be
doing in a school. If the bond is passed in February, we will begin
immediately,” Roeske said.
Funding for the technology bond would come from Grosse
Pointe residents’ taxes. If approved, there would be an additional
2.28 millages imposed onto citizens’ taxes. If the taxable value of
a home is $150,000, then there would be a $350 tax increase. This
would be equivalent to an approximate 4.01% tax increase issued
to taxpayers for the next 10 years.
“I feel that it is a necessity. The district has had decreased
funding from the state over the last five years, and so we have
had to make tough choices, and we have put the money toward
keeping our class sizes small and our programs intact. So I think
that it’s something we need,” School Board treasurer Judy Gafa said.
“I proposed splitting the bond into separate proposals in order to lower the risk of failure. We need about nine million dollars for infrastructure so that we have the range necessary to
guarantee complete Internet service to all of our existing equipment and future purchases. This is a vital need and I believe the
community would support it if this was presented separately,”
Pangborn said.

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Red Cross Blood Drive saves lives
Everyone is capable of saving three lives in 15 minutes. All
that is needed is a willing participant and a prominent vein.
This year, the annual American Red Cross Blood Drive was
held Monday, Dec. 9 in the PAC.
“(The Student Association is) in charge of advertising for it
and registering students ahead of time, but The Red Cross actually runs the blood drive.” Student Association adviser Jonathan Byrne said. “Last year we collected 39 usable pints, and
this year our goal was to collect 44 usable pints.”
Even though there was a large turnout, not every pint collected can be used because of disease.
“Once we collect the blood here it goes downtown to the main
lab, and then they break the blood down into three components, red blood cells, platelets, and plasmas,” American Red Cross
nurse Natalie Washington said. “Hospitals place orders through us,
and then we ship it out as whatever blood type they need.”
Hospitals use this donated blood to aid cancer patients, burn
victims, premature babies and patients who receive organ or
bone marrow transplants.

Link Crew hosts tailgate
Freshmen, along with their upperclassmen Link Crew leaders, gathered in the cafeteria Friday before the North v. South
freshman basketball game for a freshmen tailgate.
“I think it’s an awesome idea that they did this for freshman.
It was really cool,” freshman Nate Campbell said.
The tailgate was put together by Link Crew’s social committee. Although it was not the first event Link Crew has put together (the first being the No-Shave November fundraiser), it was
the first event directed toward freshman.
“Not a lot of people tend to go to freshman games. I feel like
this is unifying them. You’re a part of North; you’re a part of our
culture here,” science teacher Kristen Lee said.

Hockey team plays at Comerica
Not everyone gets the opportunity to play hockey at Comerica Park, but the boys hockey team will play against their rival
Warren De La Salle. The face-off will take place Dec. 23 at 8:30 p.m.
“We are preparing for it like any other game. It’s the same
thing as always, just a little more hype. We will try and do our
best to not let the excitement over boil,” senior Will Zinn said.
Only twenty-four high school hockey teams get to be a part of
this event.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the fact that it
is at Comerica is pretty cool,” sophomore Andrew Tomasi said.
While the rules of the game remain the same, this unique
opportunity invites an entirely different atmosphere.
“It’s different from any other game because it’s at Comerica,
and it’s outside,” sophomore JP Navetta said.
The team is trying to keep their emotions under control and
use their excitement to motivate them against Warren De La Salle.
“We are all very excited, and it should be an amazing experience,” Zinn said.
The whole team is going to take this change from their usual
game style being inside in a rink to playing outside at Comerica park.
By Kaley Makino, Brittney Hernandez and Caelin Micks

IDEAS
Gumpy: It’s a lifestyle
“Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers are
responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression
and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether
the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular,
critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.”
Board of Education Policy

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board
consisting of the editors above and staff members
Erica Lizza and Jennifer Kusch.

OUR EDITORIAl

Tech bond worth the price
The depressing hums of computers older than
dinosaurs fill the buildings of the Grosse Pointe Public
School System; aggravated kicks to monitors and frustrated sighs are commonplace.
This cycle of frustration and impatience has victimized students and faculty members at North, but
the technology bond has the potential to end this
cycle. The tech bond is a proposal in the Grosse Pointe
School Board slated to be voted on in February that
would update and add technology for every school.
Although this proposal is a godsend to a district whose
electronics have been limping on their last leg for far
too long, it doesn’t come without a price— over $50
million. Grosse Pointers have long recognized the
need for improved technology, but the sticker shock
has been difficult to move past.
Although the cost can be justified, the funds for the
improvements are not materializing out of nowhere.
They are coming out of the pockets of families across
the Pointes. Some may say that this is unfair to those
who are not benefiting from the improvements but
still have to pay for them.
Contrary to the claims of those opposed to the tech
bond, everyone in Grosse Pointe, whether or not they
have contact with the iPads being implemented in the
elementary schools or the new computers in North’s
labs, will benefit from the bond and its efforts to maintain facilities and update technology. Grosse Pointe
is renowned for its exemplary public schools. They
are what keep property values high. Without passage
of the tech bond, the computers in the district will
likely experience problems with the state’s mandatory
testing program next year. Without those tests, it will
be impossible for the state to evaluate Grosse Pointe
schools’ performances. As a result, the district will
automatically receive a failing grade, and the district’s
stellar record will be tarnished. This could drag down
property values across the Grosse Pointes, whether
or not homeowners have children attending Grosse
Pointe Schools. This is an economic loss that could
take years to recover from.
According to Board member Judy Gafa, the additional tax to fund the bond would be approximately
$3,500 over 10 years for a house with a market value
of $300,000. This far outweighs the cost of depleted
home values that could result from the tech bond not
passing. A permanently tarnished record could drive
away future home buyers from an area whose major
appeal is its quality public education. Why would
anyone vote to make the local real estate and economy
suffer over a few thousand dollars?
Not that those opposed to the bond do not have a
sound argument. The $50 million being spent on the
improvements is a large sum. The myriad of improvements the bond will pay for are extensive, and the
concurrence of security and technology updates may
seem pricey and unnecessary. But the steep cost of
this technology bond is less harmful than the prospect
of facing several years without adequate technology in
our schools.
The Grosse Pointe Public School System has a history of excellence. Its taxpayers have usually agreed to
tax increases to benefit the schools and the community as a whole. In February, the Board will once again
ask the taxpayers to put their faith in them, so that
they can continue our history of excellence. So with
all this said, we appear to be at a crossroads because
this tech bond is all or nothing. This February’s vote
could pass the bond in time for next year’s mandatory testing, but if it is rejected in hopes of drafting an
amended and less costly proposal in the future, our
schools will suffer in the interim.
One path, while more costly, leads to a future where
our school district meets and even exceeds expectations. The other road, while less costly, throws not only
the education and potential of students into the crosshairs, but the property values of Grosse Pointe homes.
We hope that voters can see past the lofty numbers
and recognize that the future and well being of our
schools depends on their support of the tech bond.

Click. Thump. Click. Thump.
The recognizable sound of a pair of pounding
crutches announced my arrival at my classes,
a calling card of sorts. Pitying stares and chuckles would soon
follow, as this was
not an unexpected
situation for me.
By most measures, I am a
successful athlete, yet the grace EDITOR’S DESK
expected of an ac- jennifer kusch
complished jock
seems to have avoided me. Objects seem to
be pulled into my path, as if by an unseen
magnetic force.
This fall, a field hockey ball conked me on
the head, leaving me with a bulge on my forehead (a great homecoming look, let me tell
you), and I recently suffered another injury:
a slapshot to my foot. So I guess you could
say I have had it from head to toe. While field
hockey gear leaves most of the body exposed,
hockey equipment and skates are generally
enough protection from flying pucks, wayward sticks, and girls with anger issues. So
what was I wearing, slippers? Let me be frank:
NO. That little plastic puck was launched towards the net, but my heavily protected foot
pulled into its path, once again. That darn
magnetic force.
And so, a week later, I was sporting winter’s
biggest footwear trend: a peep-toe, powder
blue, plaster cast.
As I made my school debut, people could
barely keep their jaws from hitting the floor.
The hockey season wasn’t even officially underway, yet I was already sidelined. Everyone
asked me the same question. “Like, ohmygodjen, did you, like, hurt your foot?” Now, I am a
pretty happy, un-sarcastic person, but there’s
a cast on my leg. My responses were delivered
with a side of dripping sarcasm. “Whoa, what

is on my foot?” and “Nah, I just thought that the
blue brought out my eyes” soon became my
standbys.
My rockin’ new look branded me “gimpy,”
a “gump,” “clutz,” or an otherwise unfortunately uncoordinated, injury-prone human
being. And the worst part: it’s true. I’ve suffered numerous strains, sprains and “irritated
disks.” I even skated into a hockey net backward
while demonstrating something for my team
(yes, skated into it) and gave myself a concussion. I can’t even blame that pesky magnetic
force for all of my injuries, I’m not even safe
when left to my own devices. My track record
is so bad, it’s hard to believe that Morgan Freeman isn’t secretly doing a voiceover of my
made-for-TV life, Ouch! The Diaries of a Gimp.
Not that this tendency for injury cramps
my hoppin’ lifestyle. It’s pretty fun to be a
wheelchair-bound battering ram on Black
Friday, and having elevator privileges isn’t
too shabby either. The elevators may smell like
old socks and make some pretty shady moans
and shudders, but they beat climbing three
floors of stairs; even athletes make “passing
time” sound more like “panting time” by the
time they complete a three story uphill trek .
At my gumpy, record-breaking rate, by the
time I graduate, the school’s athletic trainers
will be in attendance at my graduation party,
and if they’re smart, they’ll bring some ice
because (big shocker here): bounce houses
and I don’t mix well. Athletic trainers and I are
usually pretty tight. I spend hours on their
carts throughout my varied sports seasons;
icing, wrapping and diagnosing my injuries are an unavoidable pre-game ritual. My
physical therapist shouldn’t be left out either
because we see way too much of each other.
The cast has since come off, and I am going
through physical therapy with the hopes
of lacing up my skates once more. Even
though I’m officially healed, there’s one thing
I’m sure of: the force is definitely not with me.

“Go to Tiger’s games.”

“Mainly just for sporting
events, that’s it. I like the
Lions.”

“Go get a hotel room and
hang out with friends and
go to the Riverwalk.”

Olivia Randazzo

Emilio Castronero

Elijah Lagarde

freshman

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 – 3

junior

Sophomore

YOUR TURN: What do you like to do in Detroit?
By Sydney Thompson and Mora Downs

“Usually try a lot of different
places to eat down there.
The Hudson Cafe; it’s like a
breakfast place.”

“Tigers games, Lions
games.”

“I like to walk around. My
husband and I would go to
the Grand Prix. When we
dated, we used to hang out
at the (Renaissance) Center
all the time.”

Ren-Cen gem
The Tigers Stadium, Joe
Louis Arena and maybe
even Motown come to mind
whenever somebody brings
up Detroit. But for me, only
one, immensely tall, black
and blue skyscraper comes
to mind—The General Motors building. This building,
standing high, is exactly why
Detroit has the nickname the
Motor City.
Growing up, I can’t tell you
how many Saturdays were
spent running around the
building alongside my older
brother and my other younger siblings, but I can tell you
how much fun we had. Thrill,
excitement and happiness
would rampage through my
little body as I climbed inside
different cars (Yes, we could
do that) and decided that
‘This shall be my car.’
We smiled, giggled and
pictured each other driving
those things around Detroit.
I always felt like I was on
cloud nine when I was walking in out of the building. It
was nothing short of an enormous castle, full of treasure
and riches.
As a little girl, I loved making the journey to downtown
Detroit. As I sat smushed
in between my brothers, I
loved seeing how the distant
skyscrapers—Renaissance
building, Greektown, MGM
and, my favorite, the GM
Building—got larger as we
got closer. Going from the
mere black outlines in the sky
to these vivid, huge castlelike buildings, I could feel my
anticipation and heart racing
as we would drive past the
first glimpse of cars, sitting
on display inside of the GM
Building’s opening doors.
If you’ve ever been inside
the GM building you’ll know
that you have to walk for a
few minutes to get to the
space filled with the actual
cars. But the trek to the cars’
rooms would only ignite my
excitement.
One of the hardest things
was leaving that building
as we headed out the back
doors with the long stretch
of the Detroit Riverwalk and
the outskirts of Windsor,
Canada gleaming through
the glass. But before taking
a picture with the captivating view, we we had to run
through the sprinklers that
stood out in front of it. Running through sprinklers as
a little kid, fully clothed on a
hot, sunny day with your siblings is a lot of more fun than
it probably sounds, and there
wasn’t a second of it I did not
absolutely enjoy. As I leaned
up against the steel railing,
snapshots of my childhood
were recorded for my future
memories.
My time spent at the GM
Building definitely lent to
some of the happiest moments in my childhood, and,
as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found
myself wanting to recapture
that same innocent happiness I experienced there. But,
a lot has changed since those
times. Those fun trips to the
GM Building are just memories, but when I think about
them now, I’m grateful to
have them.
To quote the late and great
doctor Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because
it happened.”

Corrections
In the Dec. 6 issue, “Michigan may cut the cord on
landlines in 2017,” was
co-authored by photo editor
Brigitte Smith. Also, photo
cutlines on page 7 misidentified two students. Senior
Breanna Cochran was misidentified as Brittany Moore,
and Tiziana Skinner is a
junior, not a senior.

On Campus

4 – North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 20, 2013

Choir students sing at holiday concert
Choir students performed Christmas songs at First
English Luthern Church Dec. 12 and 13
By Ava DeLoach, Dalaney Bradley & Izzy Ellery
photographer & Life Editor

Faces in the crowd
Shannon Smith

Freshman
Shannon
Smith aims to improve
her Irish step dancing
skills to become more
like her inspiration and
professional
dancer,
Claire Greeney.
“She is a three time
world champion Irish
dancer. Claire is my role
model because she inspires me to become
a better dancer,” Smith said.
Smith began Irish step dancing as a hobby years ago because her mother pushed
her to pursue it. Now, her mother is a major
reason of her success in the field.
“Well my mom used to Irish dance as a
young girl and she got me interested in it.
I started eight years ago,” Smith said. “My
mom always comes to my competitions
and makes sure I’m ready. She helps me
practice.”
Even though Smith is only a freshman,
she is certain that her career path will hold
true to her Irish step dancing roots.
“I have a true passion for it. Someday
I hope to become a part time teacher or,
with a certain amount of years teaching,
travel the world and judge competitions,”
Smith said.

Chrissy Martin

ABOVE RIGHT: Sophomore
Emily Harder sings “Christmas Lullaby.” Pre-performance jitters didn’t get the
best of her. “I get really nervous before, but once I get
on stage and start singing
the nerves kind of faded,”
Harder said.
TOP LEFT: Treble choir sings
“Up Above my Head.” Freshman Michaela Kirck enjoyed
her first holiday concert. “My
favorite part of the concert was the ending group
numbers because it’s nice to
hear what the choir sounds
like when everyone’s voices
come together,” Kirck said.
“I’m looking forward to the
spring concert to see how all
of our voices have grown.”
BELOW: Juniors Anthony
Jaenisch, Trey Burke, sophomore Christian Preston and
senior Dwan Wilcox perform.
Burke’s favorite performance
of the night was “Hallelujah.” “It was like a four part
melody, and it was amazing
because it’s a common song
everyone knows, and it’s just
like I am one of those people
singing those legendary
songs,” Burke said.
ABOVE: All choirs perform “Hallelujah from Messiah” for the finale, joined by North alumni. Freshman Will
Fishwick liked this performance and was also pleased with his solo. “That went well. I didn’t screw up the
lyrics like I did in the audition, so that was good. This was my first one as an actual registered North student,
so that was cool.” Preston enjoyed performing “Hallelujah from Messiah” during the finale. “(My favorite was)
Hallelujah Chorus because we got to sing with all of the students that have previously graduated,” Preston
said. “Overall it was pretty good. It just kind of made my Christmas season better and it filled me with joy.”

As a young girl, sophomore Chrissy Martin
would go to speech therapy twice a week. It started
when she was first learning to speak, and her
words would not come
out correctly. Martin attended speech therapy
classes from kindergarten through first grade to fix her slight
mispronunciation and ended up forming a
bond with her therapist. Her experience in
speech therapy inspired her to pursue the
field herself.
“I wanted to help people the way I received my help,” Martin said.
Every day after school, Martin would go
home and practice the techniques that her
teacher taught her that day and was fascinated by how fast her speech problems
were fixed.
“This was not a serious problem, but I
wanted to make sure it was fixed fast so I
didn’t get behind in school,” Martin said.
Martin did not use her speech therapy
as an excuse to get out of class and was not
embarrassed about attending because she
knew that it would benefit her in the future.
“Speech therapy is actually interesting;
everyone has a different problem, and it
is great seeing how people progress over
time,” Martin said.
Martin plans on attending Valparaiso
University in Indiana to become a successful speech therapist.
“It is a family college. It has been my
dream ever since I was younger. It will help
with my future career because I’ve wanted
it for so long, and I will stay focused there,”
Martin said.

By Colleen Reveley & Caelin Micks

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Hall Monitor Paula Dombrowski
By Kristina Kowalski
Intern

Emily huguenin

Being a working mom can take its toll on hall monitor Paul
Dombrowski, so she likes to use the weekend to unwind.
“Weekends are usually pretty jam-packed with trying to get
like shopping and everything done and I try and chill out a
little bit, relax,” Dombrowski said.

The challenges of being a working mother don’t stop hall monitor
Paula Dombrowski from using her
artistic skill.
“I’m very artsy. I like to paint. I
like to make jewelry, crochet, things
like that. Anything I can do with my
hands,” Dombrowski said. “I’m crocheting for my mother because she
has no curtains in her back room.
I have to do ten of them. I learned
how to do a lace stitch, so it looks
like a lace, which is very cool. When
I have five minute, or whenever I
feel like it, I just sit down and crochet. When the inspiration hits, I’ll
make something.”
Recently, Dombrowski volunteered to create a sign for the Grosse
Pointe Woods library garden.
“I’m the youth monitor there as
my second job … I said ‘Well for
the dedication, I’ll make a sign.’
We still haven’t hung it yet ‘cause
they’re afraid someone’s gonna
steal it,” Dombrowski said.
Dombrowski, unlike the other

artist in her family, is self-taught.
Her brother pursued a fine arts degree,, but they both share a similar
interest in the skill.
“I have totally different techniques, and he gives me a hard
time about mine because it’s not
necessarily something that I was
taught,” Dembrowski said. “I just
kinda have played with the medium myself a little bit … So it’s kind
of like you have to blend, and you
get to make things look how you
want them to look. It’s very cool. I
like it. I like working in chalk best.
That’s my favorite, ‘cause it’s very
blendable, and it’s just really cool.”
Dombrowski has not recently
created jewelry because of the expense.
“I haven’t made it in a long time,
‘cause it’s really expensive. I just
kinda taught myself how to do
it ... it was for a baby shower, so
I said, ‘For prizes I’ll make earrings.’ I took a class in lapidary,
and I made a thumb ring. I learned
how to wrap my own stuff, and I
just taught myself. I like to figure
things out.”

What’s it like here working with your son?
“It’s okay. It doesn’t bother me at all. I think
it’s kind of cool. Initially, he was kind of
upset about it because he thought people
were gonna pick on him … I don’t generally
acknowledge him because I don’t wanna
embarrass him. But it’s okay. He likes it.”
What’s your favorite food?
“I don’t really have a favorite food … I like
Mexican food, I guess. Mexican or Italian
would be my favorite. But I don’t really have
a specific thing I like about it.”
What’s your favorite movie?
“The Quiet Man. It’s old, way old.”
What’s your favorite television show?
“I have so many … It’s a toss up between
NCIS and the Big Bang Theory. I like the
drama, and I like to laugh. One of those two.”

Where’s your favorite vacation spot?
“I love to go to Mackinac Island and I love
Tucson, Arizona.”
What kind of music do you listen to?
“I love alternative stuff. I think my all time
favorite band is Pearl Jam.”

A gigantic blue curtain covered in snowflakes
sparkled and shimmered as the lights of the Detroit
Opera House dimmed and the angelic sounds of the
beginning overture drifted from the orchestra. When
the theater became completely dark, Santa appeared.
Elf, the 2003 film that banked over $225 million is
not just a movie anymore. In 2010, Elf the Musical premiered on Broadway. Since then, the show has been
stopping in cities nationwide, including Detroit. Elf
the Musical was at the Detroit Opera House Dec. 3-15.
The singing in the show was phenomenal, but
one voice rose above the others. Tyler Altomari, who
played Michael Hobbs, had a beautiful voice and
sounded more impressive than the others because
of his young age. The musical number “Nobody
Cares About Santa,” also included great vocal performances and incredible choreography to match.
The acting was amazing as well, especially that
of Gordon Gray, who played Buddy. Gray’s interpretation of Buddy was more perky than Will Ferrell’s and made him seem much more “elf-like.” It
worked well for the musical and gave it more life.
The actors playing both Buddy and Walter performed the scene in which Buddy runs away with
great emotion that could be felt by the audience.
Viewers roared with laughter at the jokes in the
musical which included a jab at Columbus, Ohio.
This particularly amused Michigan natives because of the Big Ten Championship football game
rivalry. Many of the jokes in the show were not
from the movie, which made them better because
they were not recycled.
In fact, many parts of the musical weren’t like
the movie, but this wasn’t always an improvement.
In the first scene, while building toys in Santa’s
workshop, Buddy overheard a conversation between two elves and discovered that he was really a human, and that his real dad was on Santa’s
naughty list. This whole part happened quickly,
and unlike the movie, the first scene did not offer
any context about Buddy’s life at the North Pole.
When Buddy reached New York in the fourth
scene, his experiences were rushed. Many of Buddy’s hilarious adventures from his first day in New

York are not featured.
In the musical, Walter, Buddy’s father, was an
extreme workaholic – even more so than in the
movie. This character flaw set up opportunities
to enrich the relationship between Walter and his
family. His wife, Emily, and son, Michael, later
wrote letters to Santa. The scene added heart to
the story because all they ask for is a day with Walter, whose life revolves around work, rather than
family. Later in the show, Walter quit his job, as
he did in the movie, but the scene in the musical
proved more meaningful as it showed Emily and
Michael’s wish to Santa come true.
When Buddy talked to Jovie, a female “elf” in
Macy’s, he did the famous “I’m in a store and I’m
singing” bit, which did not hold the same humorous effect as in the movie, due to the actor being
a professional singer. Nothing is funnier than Will
Ferrell’s awkward, cracking voice.
Buddy’s date with Jovie, though, was better in the
musical because unlike Zooey Deschanel, who portrays Jovie in the film, Katie Hennies convinced the
audience that she was truly falling in love with Buddy.
When “Santa” came to Gimbel’s department
store (Macy’s in the musical) and Buddy exposed
him as a fake, the expected belly laughs were absent. This scene was less enjoyable in the musical
because it again lacked Ferrell’s comedy in his titanic concern that “Santa” was an imposter.
When Santa’s sleigh fell from the sky in Central
Park, Buddy and his family went to help Santa, but
they realized the only way they could help him was
to raise Christmas cheer in New York. This part is
identical to the movie, even including “Charlotte
Dennin, New York One,” but instead of reading
from Santa’s book, Buddy read people’s Christmas
wishes from Santa’s iPad.
This worthwhile musical was whimsical and
warm-hearted. Die-hard Elf fans may disagree
with the lack of Will Ferrell’s knee-slapping comedy and the exclusion of several laugh out loud
scenes in the film (the shower-singing duet was
rejected), but Elf the Musical provides a new perspective on a contemporary holiday classic.

Grade: A-

6 - North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 20, 2013

reviews

Queen B releases a bombshell
We were scrolling through Instagram photos, reading
tweets, cramming in forgotten homework or drifting off into
slumber when the clock struck midnight on Dec. 13 and singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter dropped a bomb. Thought the
soulful songstress wasn’t going to pull an album this year?
Think again.
Beyoncé’s self-titled visual album was kept quiet by the
artist and came as a surprise to her fans. Not only was the
whole album a shock, but the content was as well. With 14
songs and 17 videos, a new woman emerged from the motherhood hideout.
The new mom showed out in more than a few songs, taking a wholesome and hearty sexual appeal. Beyoncé flaunts
her post baby body in nearly every song, particularly in
“Drunk in Love” featuring Jay-Z. This is a more explicit representation of the fierce duos past hit, “Crazy in Love.” The
maturity in Beyoncé’s music has obviously escalated.
In her single, “Blow,” a more poppy approach was taken.
The beats are fast and the video corresponds well, being
taken at a rollerskating rink with a 70s twist. On the other

hand, “Rocket” and “Partition” are much slower and much
more adult, along with “Mine” featuring Drake, a mesmerizing track off of the album. But all four songs take on a similar
sensual feminine flare that we know as Beyoncé.
Going through the tracklist however, there’s a bolt from
the blue (literally) that challenges the strong sexual reputation of the album. The motherly side was represented by
“Blue,” featuring Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy. The video was
filmed on their family vacation to Brazil making it more relatable than the other seemingly fairy tale videos. Beyoncé
sings of her love of motherhood and the feeling she gets when
her baby Blue says her name. In fact, at the end of the song
shelaughs, saying, “Hold on to me, hold on to me ... Mommy,
mommy, mommy.”
Another twist to Beyoncé is in the bonus video “Grown
Woman.” The graphics are stellar, which is no surprise. But
the woman accompanying Beyoncé in the video isn’t another
artist; it’s her mother. As strange as it sounds, it helps to implement the whole idea of the song.
Every song on this album is strong coming from a matured artist, however it can get repetitive at times. Nevertheless, the balance between fierce, feminine and adoring
is executed perfectly. She did it again, and it’s safe to say
we can fall dangerously in love with Beyoncé’s Beyoncé.

Frozen

Pentatonix

Yonder

Disney has created many beloved
movies. Their newest addition: Frozen.
The story follows sisters Anna
and Elsa’s song-filled adventure
through a frozen land. The conflict
begins when Elsa accidentally reveals her icy powers at her coronation, after years of trying to hide
it. When she escapes capture from
frozen.com
her kingdom, she has unknowingly
plunged the land into an eternal winter. So to rekindle their sisterly relationship and save the kingdom, Anna sets out to find
her sister, along with Olaf the snowman, Sven the reindeer and
Kristoff the iceman.
With its one of a kind storyline, complex characters and
hilarious content, Frozen appeals to the young and old. It’s no
wonder why viewers freeze to their seats while watching, and
the graphics of the film are just as stunning.
The intricacy and depth of detail of the movie’s graphics are
breathtaking. Everything seen on the screen seems to come
to life, from the snow to the tiny hairs out of place. Nothing is
overlooked or forgotten.
But this movie is not for everyone. Since it has many songs
throughout the whole picture, viewers who dislike this might
find it annoying. Plus, many of the songs are for younger audiences, and viewers might find that too childish for their liking.
Overall Frozen was very well done, and definitely lives up to
the Disney standard of excellence. Maybe even higher.

“La-da-dah’s” and Christmas
cheer greets the listeners’ ears as
they enjoy the festive tunes provided by the up-and-coming band,
Pentatonix. Those not familiar, it is an
acapella group of five singers accompanied by minimal instrumentation.
PTXmas is their first album and it is
sure to go off with a bang.
ptxofficial.com
Christmas music tends to be either traditional or contemporary, but Pentatonix embodies
both. Pentatonix puts a much needed pop twist on a mix of
traditional, religious and contemporary favorites while staying true to the holiday spirit.
“Carol of the Bells,” a mostly instrumental song, is only
intensified by this group. The unique harmonies are pleasing
to the ear. Without any instruments to back up the caroling,
beautiful vocals are really put on center stage.
Today’s teenagers are often greeted with catchy lyrics and
fast-paced dubstep beats when they open music on any device.
Christmas music should be no exception. However, Pentatonix took a slow approach with this album. Many of the songs
sounded alike and it began to feel lethargic. A change of pace
would have been a welcome improvement.
Overall, PTXmas is an effective mix of snaps and “doobahs” that goes well with any tree-decorating or ice-skating
bash, a must for the holiday season.

All of the things you love to do
outside, anything from hiking to
camping, can be expressed through
the new social media app Yonder.
It’s focus is to share people’s most
adventurous experiences especially
anything and everything outdoors.
Using Yonder is similar to using Instagram: post a picture or video of
vimeo.com
an experience, share it, keep up with
other people’s exploits and view other users who take part in
similar activities.
Yonder is original in the respect that there are few social
media apps that revolve around the theme of adventure. However, while it’s creative, it has the potential to get boring. Considering users won’t have a notable experience every single
day, you would have to follow a lot of people in order to have
the app updated with new content daily.
On the other hand, when your account is getting updated it
can be stimulating to gain insight into others’ lives, even if it’s
just some stranger off the popular page hiking the Grand Canyon. But when put to further use, the app proves to be slightly
irrelevant. Besides its selective theme, it is barely distinguishable from other photo-sharing apps such as Instagram. This
further pushes the idea that Yonder isn’t anything too special.
At first glance, Yonder appears to be a fresh approach to
sharing life experiences, but on closer inspection it reveals itself to be nothing but white noise. Despite the promising idea
of a shared adventure, Yonder isn’t worth the time.

By Josie Bennett

By Kayla Luteran

By Josie Riley

By Diajah Williams
Staff Reporter

A-

B

Grade: AC

Sports

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 – 7

For the love of club
Students work to balance the hectic schedule of club sports
By Andrea Scapini & Anu Subramaniam
News Editor & Web Manager

Katie Roy

Thomas Essak

Maria Nguyen

Michigan Elite
Volleyball Academy

Salvo

Extreme Gymnastics

Volleyball

Across the net, junior Katie Roy’s eyes lock with
her current rival – her club teammate from Dakota
High School.
Seeing her travel volleyball teammates at high
school tournaments during the fall season is not so
unusual for Roy.
“It’s so much fun playing at tournaments for high
school and running and hugging someone in another uniform and tackling them, and then your high
school team just looks at you funny,” Roy said.
Roy joined her travel volleyball team, Michigan
Elite Volleyball Academy, during her freshman year,
when she wanted to continue playing volleyball yearround.
“The coaches there are really good, so I got a lot
better, and I learned a lot more, and I got to meet a
lot more new people,” Roy said. “I didn’t go into the
season with them, but I came out with a lot of close
friends.”
Even though the practices and tournaments are
slightly more time consuming than those of the regular high school season, Roy still loves playing for her
travel team.
“I’m glad that I did it, and it’s been a really good experience for me, and I’ve learned a lot about volleyball
and about people in general.”

Soccer

For a year and a half, sophomore Thomas Essak
has been playing club soccer in addition to playing
on the JV team during the regular boys soccer season. Essak has played on the team, Salvo, to challenge
himself with higher caliber competition.
“In club sports the games are higher place, but the
games are a lot more competitive than high school
(where) like you get to calm down a little bit and have
some fun,” Essak said.
Essak feels that the camaraderie of his club team is
stronger than his school team because of the greater
amount of time he spends with his fellow club team
members.
“You make friends from different schools all-year
round and they are basically your brothers through
that sport, through something you like for the rest of
your life.”
Essak also feels that having two different team
practices helps him focus on two different aspects of
the game.
“North practices are fitness; club practices are skill
and mentality.”
Essak plans on continuing to play on a club team
throughout high school and hopes that through hard
work he will make varsity next year.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics alone consumed junior Maria Nguyen’s life with four-hour practices four days a week.
“About a year ago, I kind of had a meltdown, and I
didn’t want to do anything at all, and I hated competing and stuff,” Nguyen said. “I don’t really know what it
was. Maybe I was just being pushed too hard.”
She prefers competing for North’s team because it
has the intensity that she needs but isn’t overbearing.
“Club coaches are kind of more pressuring, and it’s
like you really have to be consistent at club, whereas
here, you have to be consistent too, but it’s not as pressuring,” she said. “The most stressful part was probably competition because my coach would always tell
me what score I needed.”
Another stress inducer for Nguyen during her club
season was the weight of trying to pursue gymnastics
through college.
“I was really persistent on going to college (for gymnastics) during club. It was kind of like, ‘I need to do
this, and I need to stay on to make it there,’” she said.
Although Nguyen misses her club-gymnastics
friends, she doesn’t plan on going back to her yearround team.
“I’m not as into it as I was, so I feel like if I were still
in club, I would still be really persistent on going to college, but now that I’m not, it’s kind of like I have other
things I want to do, too.”

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DESTINATION: DETROIT
Follow this day downtown to ensure you make the most of your winter break
By Haley Reid
ASSISTANT EDITOR

HUDSON
CAFE

EASTERN
MARKET

The Hudson Cafe, located on Woodward Ave., is known for modern
twists on typical brunch foods. Their vast variety of sweet and savory
breakfast food is mixed with their attached cafe full of pastries and
made-to-order coffee drinks.
Senior Maddy Vyletel experienced the menu for the first time this
fall but is planning on making it a regular spot.
“So far I have only been there once, and have only gotten the french
toast, but I am looking forward to going more often and trying everything,” Vyletel said.
Opening in 2012, the Hudson Cafe has been attracting customers
through its unique presentation and social media recognition.
“My sister had gone there over the summer and loved it, and I always
see it on Instagram. It looked so delicious so I thought I had to try it,”
Vyletel said. “I would recommend the Challah french toast. It’s your
basic french toast with an eggier bread, nothing special, but they make
it so perfectly.”

Four in the morning signals the arrival of trucks containing everything
from freshly cut poultry to newly picked produce. Many stalls are set up displaying products, but only one has a metal sign reading “Francis Mulso and
Sons” right next to the station.
Since 1891, hundreds of vendors have been setting up shop at the Eastern
Market every Saturday. The public market encompases local businesses and
shops, and its six-block center contains most of the fresh food sales, including
fruits, vegetables, homemade jams, maple syrup and grass-fed meat.
“Back in the day, actually before my time on this planet, my great
grandfather used to have a stall, ‘Francis Mulso and Sons,’ down at the
market,” social studies teacher Barry Mulso said.
Mulso frequented the market almost every week during his time as a butcher.
“Every time you go down there you see different people, (and) you
meet different people,” Mulso said. “It’s the bustle; it’s the hum. That
place is just constantly busy. Anywhere between the hours of four o’clock
and noonw, it just rocks and rolls, and that energy is amazing.”

By Colleen Reveley

By Patricia Bajis

MAJESTIC THEATRE
Built in 1915, the Majestic Theatre was once the largest movie theater in the world, later becoming a concert hall. Combined with Garden
Bowl, a 1913 bowling alley (America’s oldest active alley), it became
the Majestic Theatre Center in the 80s adding a cafe, billiards, a rooftop bar and pizzeria.
“I’m usually at the Magic Stick, which is the smaller concert venue in
the upstairs. They have really great shows there for under $20 usually,”
junior Kate Derringer said. “I’ve been to probably over 20 shows there,
but some of my favorites have been Wavves and Neon Indian and Fidlar.”
Besides the concerts, Derringer said she enjoys bowling there.
“They have a bowling alley, and you can get a game for a few bucks,
and they have a restaurant,” Derringer said. “It’s just something to do,
like it’s really affordable, and you’ll probably have a lot of fun because
the shows there are always really high energy. And they have good pizza.”
By Lauren Semack

CAMPUS
MARTIUS

Hot and fresh out the kitchen, Supino Pizzeria specializes in thincrusted pizza pies. From classic cheese and pepperoni, to what they
call “Verdure e Funghi,” that is topped with parsley, basil, mushrooms,
smoked gouda and parmigiano, they offer an array of pizzas.
“It’s like a little pizza place. It’s right facing Eastern Market. They
make all the pizza, I think it’s wood-fire ovens. It’s just really awesome
thincrust Italian style pizza. It’s really delicious,” social studies teacher
Bridget Cooley said.
If the pizzas don’t appease to one’s taste buds, Supino’s offers a “Make
Your Own” option on the menu. Pizza prices range from $10-17. The holein-a-wall restaurant offers salad and entree options, though they are not
as extensive as the pizza options.
The atmosphere has been described as “laid back” in a review by
the Metro Times. The restaurant is near the Eastern Market and located on Russell St.
By Sydney Thompson

Thousands of Metro Detroiters
bursting with holiday spirit skate
on the outdoor ice rink at Campus
Martius every winter. Located in
the heart of downtown Detroit, in
the center of Woodward Ave., the
park offers ice skate rentals for $3
and has a general admission price
of $6-7.
A 60-foot Christmas tree illuminates the rink, while holiday
tunes blast from the speakers
above the ice. The aura alone attracts local skaters of all ages
and skill levels.
Junior Victoria Potapenko laces
up her skates every winter at Campus Martius with her friends.
“I like the fact that it’s something that brings people into
downtown Detroit,” Potapenko
said. “The giant Christmas tree
reminds me of Rockefeller Center.
I just like the overall ambiance
in general.”
By Haley Reid

Photos by Brigitte Smith

SUPINO PIZZERIA

LAFAYETTE
CONEY ISLAND

For Detroit hot dog lovers, the
debate between Lafayette Coney
Island and American Coney Island is a rivalry that's been ongoing for years.
“Is Lafayette better than American? Is that even a question?” senior Tom Vismara said.
Located on West Lafayette Blvd.,
this grubby, inexpensive joint can
be seen overf lowing with customers after Tigers, Wings and
Lions games.
“I found out about it through
some of my friends when we were
getting ready to go to the MAC
championship game at Ford Field,”
alumnus Cody Parafin said.
Along with its convenient location, Lafayette is known for its
quick, in and out service.
“I love how fast they serve you
and I like to look at the pictures of
all the famous people who’ve been
there on the walls around the restaurant,” Parafin said.
By Colleen Reveley